Hard Wood = Hard Work

I feel like I just finished a Billy Blanks class. My hands and arms are sore, my back aches and I'm drenched in sweat. I'd like to say I just got back from the gym, but instead I did what's called the "What the Hell Were We Thinking When We Installed 1500 sq. ft. of Wood Flooring?" Workout.

Can you say High Maintenance? Yikes. First I vacuumed the entire house. Then I swiffered the hardwood to get rid whatever dust the vac missed. And then I wet mopped. Twice. And now I need an Advil and a nap. This is exactly why people employ cleaning ladies or plop down $400 on a Roomba.

Is there an easier way to keep hardwood floors gleaming when you have two kids and two dogs? I think I'll request a meeting over at Proctor & Gamble and see if they like my idea of inventing Swiffer Booties. A marriage of the shoe covering worn by surgeons and Swiffer's dust-magnet technology, one would slip a pair on over his or her footwear at the front door and not only limit the tracking of dirt into my home, but also do their part to assist with the maintenance of my sanity.

I've dreamed up a few nifty inventions since the renovation. Maybe someday you'll see one of them on QVC. That is if I can find the time to research and prototype them when I'm not washing the floor!